Significance of perioperative allogeneic erythrocyte transfusion on the prognoses of patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinomas

Perioperative allogeneic erythrocyte transfusion has been reported to have negative effects on the overall survival of patients with several carcinomas; however, the effects of transfusion on the prognoses of patients with esophageal cancer remain controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion and other prognostic factors for patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs). The clinicopathologic data and survival outcomes of 345 patients with middle and lower thoracic ESCCs who underwent radical esophagectomies were analyzed. One hundred sixty-seven patients who received perioperative erythrocyte transfusions were compared with 178 patients who did not. The receipt of perioperative blood transfusion was associated with an increased frequency of postoperative complications (P<0.05). Moreover, the 5-year overall survival rates of non-transfusion patients and transfusion patients were 40.3% and 22.6%, respectively (P<0.05). Multivariate analyses revealed that perioperative allogeneic erythrocyte transfusion together with vascular invasion, the number of lymph node metastases, and pathological TNM stage were independent prognostic factors for the survival of patients with ESCCs (P<0.05). Perioperative allogeneic erythrocyte transfusions were associated with more frequent postoperative complications and poorer overall survival for patients with ESCCs who underwent radical esophagectomies.